Power Semiconductor Chip Bonding Tape and Wire

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing power semiconductor components face reliability and cost issues due to mechanical stress on brittle chips from rigid lead clips and the complexity and cost of flexible bonding wire connections.

Innovation Solution

A power semiconductor component with large-area contact areas on both sides, connected via bonding tape and wire, eliminating the need for three-dimensional lead clips and reducing the number of bonding wire connections, allowing for flexible and cost-effective assembly.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If rigid lead clips are used to connect external contacts to power semiconductor chip contact areas, then mechanical strength and electrical connection are improved, but mechanical stress on the brittle chip increases and reliability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconnection strengthVSAvoidchip reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the rigid mechanical lead clip connection system with a flexible bonding wire system. The bonding wires (made of Cu, Al, or Al alloy) connect the external contacts to the chip contact areas through a softer, more compliant mechanism that avoids concentrating mechanical stress on the brittle semiconductor chip, thereby maintaining connection strength while improving reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs flexible bonding wires instead of rigid lead clips. These thin, flexible wires can accommodate thermal expansion and mechanical stress without transmitting harmful forces to the chip, thus resolving the contradiction between needing strong connections and avoiding chip damage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

2Reliability

If three-dimensional lead clips are fabricated and shaped for contact areas, then electrical connection is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectrical connectionVSAvoidmanufacturing cost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces complex three-dimensional lead clip fabrication with a simpler bonding wire process. The bonding wires can be applied using standard wire bonding equipment, eliminating the need for costly precision fabrication and shaping of three-dimensional lead structures while maintaining reliable electrical connections.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If multiple bonding wire connections are applied serially to replace lead clips, then mechanical stress on chip is reduced, but production time and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvechip reliabilityVSAvoidproduction speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple individual bonding wire connections into a single integrated bonding tape structure. The bonding tape contains multiple bonding wires arranged in a strip format, allowing all connections to be made in a single bonding operation rather than serially, thus maintaining chip reliability while dramatically improving production speed and reducing costs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from applying bonding wires one by one (one-dimensional sequential process) to applying a bonding tape containing multiple wires simultaneously (two-dimensional parallel process). This dimensional change enables all connections to be established in parallel during a single bonding step, resolving the productivity bottleneck.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

4Ease of manufacture

If bonding tape is used to connect large-area contact areas, then manufacturing cost and complexity are reduced, but connection area requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing simplicityVSAvoidcontact area

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different connection methods to different areas: bonding tape for large-area contact areas (source/drain) and individual bonding wires for small-area contact areas (gate). This local differentiation optimizes both manufacturing ease and space utilization, using the bonding tape's manufacturing advantages where large area is available while preserving precise control where small area is critical.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS7745913B2Power semiconductor component with a power semiconductor chip and method for producing the same

Publication Date: 2010.06.29 INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AG

AI summary

A power semiconductor component includes at least one power semiconductor chip and surface-mountable external contacts. The power semiconductor chip includes large-area contact areas on its top side and its rear side, which cover essentially the entire top side and rear side, respectively. The top side also includes, alongside the large-area contact area, a small-area contact area; the areal extent of the small-area contact is at least ten times smaller than the areal extent of the large-area contact areas. The small-area contact area is connected to an individual external contact of the power semiconductor component via a bonding wire connection. The large-area contact area of the top side is connected to external contacts via a bonding tape.